There are pros and cons to rangefinders and GPS units but the perfect option could be a combination of the two. In this post, I’m going to be reviewing the Bushnell hybrid rangefinder and sharing my honest opinion after using it out on the course. It’s a pretty cool device that has both a laser rangefinder and also GPS, but that being said, how did it perform?
The Bushnell Hybrid would be perfect if you’re someone who currently uses or wants laser and GPS info since it’ll save time and money. You’ll be able to get precise laser readings but you’ll still get the overhead view of the GPS. It’s not perfect by any means, but I’m fully confident in Bushnell improving their GPS maps as time goes on. Overall, thumbs up from us.
The things we look at when testing a GPS or rangefinder is how quick it was to give a reading, how accurate it was, how user-friendly it is, and also the price. Continue reading if you want a more detailed review and the best place to pick one up…
Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder Review
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My First Impressions
I’ve tried a few of these hybrid rangefinders over the years and some of them have been kind of hard to use. A lot of them have a lot of stuff going on with the screen and it definitely takes time to get used to it.
Bushnell is one of my favorite companies (I use their hunting rangefinders) so I did have high expectations going in. Their products are normally tough and durable and have always been super accurate in the past.
What I liked right away was that there were only 5 buttons on it (that were clearly marked) and it was pretty simple to find the course you’re on (comes preloaded with over 36,000 worldwide courses). Pretty much all of the main courses in my area were on it and I’m sure that’ll be the case for you as well. Here’s a demo video:
What Exactly Does It Do?
The laser rangefinder is pretty self-explanatory and works really well (just like most Bushnell products). All you really have to do is point and shoot and it’ll tell you how far the object is. I like the laser feature because it’s going to be more precise than the GPS. The downside is that it can be tough to lock in your target if you have shaky hands.
What’s cool about these devices is that it’ll show you the distance to the front/back of the green and show the distance to the pin when you’re looking through the scope. Obviously, you can’t use the rangefinder to see the distance to the front and back of the green, so that’s why this is so useful.
One of the things I was glad to see was the Jolt Vibration feature which vibrated when you locked onto the target. This will help people with shaky hands because you’ll know for sure when you have the right target.
Was It Easy To Use?
I found it quite a bit easier to use than some of the other hybrid rangefinders on the market. It takes a bit of time to feel comfortable using it and viewing all the info, but you should get the hang of it fairly quickly.
All you had to do was turn it on, select “PLAY GOLF“, and then pick the course you’re on. It normally took under 30 seconds to find the course I was on.
One thing that took a bit of playing around with was the Bluetooth pairing (so you can get course updates). Once you get the hang of it it’s fine, but just like most technology, it can sometimes be a bit tricky or glitch.
What I also liked was that you could press the “SELECT” button and it’ll show you the 4 closest hazards. That’s another feature that most laser rangefinders don’t have.
How Did It Perform?
This is probably the most important part of a rangefinder because if it’s not accurate there’s really no point in having one. I’ve never really had a laser rangefinder that wasn’t accurate but I have had ones that were hard to use.
Bushnell is mainly a laser company and just as I expected, their laser rangefinder was super accurate and always within about 2 yards of the course markers (which was as good as any).
The GPS wasn’t always as accurate (not quite as accurate as other GPS devices) but was definitely still useful to have. Most of these GPS units are within about 5 yards of the course markers and that was the case with the Hybrid.
It was always within a reasonable distance (and oftentimes was correct) but it’s something that could be improved with future updates.
Pros
- It’s one of the easier hybrid GPS units to use.
- Even if the battery for the GPS dies, you can still use the laser rangefinder.
- Having both the laser and GPS is really convenient.
Cons
- The GPS data is not as accurate as other GPS units on the market (still close).
- It’s a pretty expensive rangefinder.
The Breakdown
- Performance Score: 9
- Price Score: 7
- Quality Score: 9
- My Personal Score: 8
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does the Bushnell hybrid rangefinder come with the slope option?
A. At the time of this post it doesn’t but I’ve heard they’re working on it.
Q. How long does the battery last?
A. If you just use the laser it’ll last a few months. With the GPS it’ll last about 2 rounds.
Is It Worth It?
Overall, if you’re someone who currently uses or wants both laser and GPS info, I’d definitely recommend this rangefinder because it’ll save money and be more convenient than having both.
It’s not perfect but it still beats having to carry both devices (in my opinion) and I’m sure they’ll be improving the GPS accuracy as time goes on. Out of all the hybrid rangefinders I’ve tested, this one is near the top of the list in almost all of the categories we tested.
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Last update on 2023-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API